Finger pressure actuated message interpreting amusement device



June 13, 1950 R. s. RICHMOND FINGER PRESSURE ACTUATED MES SAGE INTERPRETING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed June 9, 1945 q WW3, p 7U7 @N 4 ABWEFGHMNL? YIES*@ FIG. I.

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Patented June 13, 1950 FINGER PRESSURE ACTUATED MESSAGE INTERPRETING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Raymond s. Richmond, Fillmore, 111.

Application June 9, 1945, Serial No. 598,560

3 Claims.

the ouija board type and comprises all of the novel subjectmatter described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section corresponding to Figure 2 but illustrating another form of the invention.

Figure 4 is in part a vertical section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3 and in part a vertical section taken on the line 4a.4a of Figure 3.

One object of the invention is to operate a device of the class described by pressure of the hand or fingers of the user as distinguished from movement of the hands or arm over a large area, as is characteristic of the usual planchette type of ouija board.

Another object is to hide the moving parts of the device so as to render its operation more mysterious and contribute to its amusement value.

The arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a box-like frame including a top wall 1, side walls 2 and a bottom wall 3. The top wall has one or more series of characters as indicated at 4, 5 and 6, series 4 comprising digits from 1 to 0, series 5 comprising the alphabet and series 5 comprising Yes and No.

Top wall is provided with a slot 1 extending substantially parallel to the series of characters and this slot receives an elongated tube 8, the top of the tube being substantially flush with or slightly above the top face of wall I. The tube is mounted upon a support 9 which is positioned mostly below top wall Wall I is provided with a second slot substantially parallel with slot 1 and at the side of slot 1 and tube 8 opposite to that adjacent to the series of characters. A pressure bar or finger bar overlies slot I and is positioned above wall by a support |2. Supports 9 and I2 are held in fixed relation by connections l3, and the unit comprising supports 9 and I2, connections l3, tube 8 and bar II is mounted upon a pivot I4 so that it may be inclined vertically according to the disposition of pressure along bar U.

Tube 8 is substantially filled with liquid but with space left to form a bubble l so that the tube forms a spirit level. As the tube is inclined, bubble I5 will travel lengthwise to various positions according to the degree of inclination of the tube, and in any position in which the bubble comes to rest it will be abreast of one of the characters in series 4, 5 and 6 and it may be used to spell out or otherwise determine answers to questions or to make other statements in the well known manner common to ouija board devices.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and the box-like frame includes a top wall 2|, side 2 walls 22 and a bottom wall 23. Top wall 2| is cut away near one wall 22 to form an opening 24. A member 25 is received in opening 24 and disposed at an angle to the top wall and is provided with a series of characters 26, 21 and 28 corresponding to those indicated at t, 5 and 5 in Figure 1.

A pressure bar 25 overlies a slot 35 in top wall 2| and is mounted upon a pivoted support 3| similar to the arrangement of pressure bar and support shown in Figure 1. A hollow tube 32 extends lengthwise of support 3| and is substantially filled with an opaque liquid 33, there being space, however, for an air bubble 34 whereby the tube forms a spirit level similar to that previously described.

At the side of support 32 opposite to the sidewhich faces member 25, there is provided a light source, here shown as an elongated lamp tube 35 substantially enclosed by a housing 35 which has an elongated opening 31 adjacent to and extending along support 3| at the same height as tube 32. Support 3| is slotted at 38 to permit the passage of light from lamp 35 towards tube 32,, and the opposite side of support 3| is provided with a plurality of apertures 39 spaced, shaped and extended, if necessary, to project a restricted beam of light towards member 25 according to the position of the transparent bubble 34 along tube 32.

The operation of this device should be obvious. Any inclination of pressure bar 25 will similarly incline tube 32, causing bubble 34 to travel lengthwise of the latter until it comes to rest, at which time a restricted beam of light from the lamp will be directed against member 25 and illuminate a portion of the series of characters 26, 21 and 28. This arrangement will be particularly effective when the device is used in the dark when the only thing visible will be the narrow area of member 25 which is lit up. The user's eyes will be above and to the right of opening 24 and the level and lamp will be hidden from view, thus contributing to the effectiveness of the device for its intended purposee.

The use of a spirit level to indicate a selected one of a series of answers in a device of this nature may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of those modifications of the structure illustrated which come within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In an amusement device of the class described, a frame, a stationary part bearing a series of characters disposed in a substantially horizontal line, a pressure bar movable on the frame and disposed for engagement by the fingers of the user, means for projecting a beam of light towards said line of characters, and means for restricting said beam of light and shift-4 V along said line of characters according to the inclination of said pressure bar.

2. In an amusement device of the class described, a frame, a stationary par-t bearing a series of characters disposed substantially horizontally, a finger bar tiltingly mounted on the frame and disposed for engagement by the user,

an elongated transparent tube carried by said finger bar and disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane and parallel to said series of characters and inclinable by said finger bar and being substantially filled with opaque fluid and having a transparent bubble and forming a spirit level, a source of light positioned at the side of said tube facing away from said series of characters, the lightfrom said source being restricted in its passage through said tube by said-opaque fluid except as such passage is provided by said bubble, and abaffle barring radiation of' light from said source to said part except through said tube.

3. A structure as described in claim2 in which 4 the frame is a box-like structure and has aii opening in its top Wall near one side, the levelforming tube and light source being beneath said wall and spaced from said opening so as to be hidden from the view of the user, and the character bearing part being received in said opening and disposed at an angle to the top wall so that the character bearing part will reflect light rays from the lamp through the opening.

RAYMOND S. RICHMOND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D;1 0,980 Rearclon Aug. 23, 1938 1,169,005 Caswell- Jan. 18, 1916 1,263,348 Heath Apr. 11, 1918 1,264,637 Green Apr. 30, 1918 1,322,727 Pearson Nov. 25,- 1919 

